Method of delimeing wool, hair, or like substances contaminated with lime.



"UNITED srarns new onnioa.

IGNATIUS LUCAS, OF PASSAIC, NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF DELIMEING- WOOL, HAIR, OR LIKE SUBSTANCES CONTAMINATED WITH Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 31, 191 7.

LIME.

No Drawing. Application filed June 1, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IoNA'rIUs LUCAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Passaic, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Method of Delimeing Wool, Hair, or like Substances Contaminated with Lime, (a calcareous substance,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a method of delimeing wool, hair or like substances contaminated with lime (a calcareous substance).

After wool, hair or bristles have been taken off the hide such wool, hair or bristles are often contaminated with lime and in the process of washing such wool, hair or bristles contaminated with lime with an aqueous soap-solution said lime obstructs the washing operation as said lime combines with the soap in solution forming an in water insoluble lime-compound and thereby hinder ing the subsequent aqueous dyeing process of the wool, hair or bristles contaminated with lime which have been treated with an aqueous soap-solution. Wool, hair or bristles are of hollow rod-like structure and wool, also some hair or bristles have on the surface minute plates, the edges of these minute plates forming hooks, which engage one hair to the other when such hair is twisted or felted, making the process of spinning or felting of wool, hair or bristles possible. With wool, hair or bristles contaminated with lime this spinning or felting property is lost as the lime adheres to and smoothens the otherwise rugged surface of the wool, hair or bristles. Wool, hair or bristles contaminated with lime have often the hollow part of their rod-like structure filled or partly filled with lime and unless this lime is removed from this hollow part as well as from the surface such wool, hair or bris tles contaminated with lime can not be dyed an even color owing to the lime not taking the dye the same as wool, hair or bristles.

At the present time it is known in the art of delimeing substances that the lime can be removed from wool, hair or bristles contaminated with lime by processes in which either free acid or acid in combination or acid produced by fermentation is the agent that removes the lime. The said acid does Serial No. 101,159.

not only remove the lime but at the same time injures the delicate structure of the wool, hair or bristles, as the chemical combination of lime with acid often produces local action. Take for instance a part of the wool, hair or bristles which is more incrusted with lime than another, the heat produced by the combination of the acid with lime at this part is not dispersed as quickly there as on other parts less covered with lime, owing to the thickness of the lime and owing to lime being a very bad conductor of heat and as this localized heat furthers the activity of the acid on lime conditions will arise at this spot injuring there the delicate structure of the wool, hair or bristles. The said local also rapid activity of the acid on lime produces another bad delimeing effect on wool, hair or bristles contaminated with lime. The wool, hair or bristles contaminated with lime lie immersed in the bath one on top of the other or one beside the other or across each other thereby forming meshes or passages through which the gas produced by the action of the acid on lime escapes out of the bath. A rapid local action of the acid on lime produces a rapid generation of gas thereby maturing the possibility of the gas clogging the aforesaid passages and the wool, hair or bristles surrounding a locality of such rapid activity of the acid on lime while retarding the escape of the gas is clenched to by the gas and if the gas clenches to the part or parts of the .wool, hair or bristles incrusted with lime the acid can not act upon this part or parts owing to the gas not being permeating to the acid and should the gas adhere to the entrance of the hollow part of the wool, hair or bristles incrusted with lime said gas would close up this entrance not allowin the acid to permeate to the inner part 0? the wool, hair or bristles thereby making the delimeing process of the same a failure.

The object of my invention is to provide means to efiect the separation of the lime from wool, hair or bristles contaminated with lime, after the said wool, hair or bristles have been taken oif the hide, without doing injury to the delicate structure of the said wool, hair or bristles.

In carrying this invention in its application to effect a separation of the lime from W001, hair or bristles without injuring the delicate structure of the said material I proceed as follows:

I place into a vessel containing Water the aforesaid Wool, hair or bristles contaminated with lime and add to the Water a pure brood of Sch-izomyceles, Whose natural functions are to produce butyric acid C H O as for example the Bacillus b0000- p ricus, Bacillus subtilis, nourishing this brood and keeping the brood and contents of the vessel at a temperature of between 70-90 F. in order that the said bacilli stay in a healthy condition till the delimeing process is finished and an over-acidity of the contents (caused by an unhealthy condition of the bacilli used) of the vessel has been avoided. The delimed Wool, hair or bristles are then taken out of the bath and washed in Water to clean them from any, in Water soluble adhering lime-compound.

Having now described my invention, What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is the following:

1. The method of delimeing Wool hair or bristles contaminated with lime Which consists in soaking them in a bath containing a pure brood of butyric acid C H O producing Schizomycetcs such as Bacillus b00- copi'icus, Bacillus subtilis.

2. The method of delimeing Wool, hair or bristles contaminated With lime Which consists in soaking them in a bath containing a pure brood of butyric acid CJLO producing Schiaomycetes such as Bacillus 600- copricus, Bacillus suliilis nourishing the bacilli While in the said bath and during the delimeing process.

3. The method of delimeing Wool hair or bristles contaminated with lime which consists in soaking them in a bath containing a pure brood of butyric acid (L l-I 0 pro ducing Schizomycctes such as Bacillus b00- copricus, Bacillus subtilis nourishing the bacilli While in the said bath and during the delimeing process regulating the supply of food for the said bacilli so as to keep the natural function of the said bacilli in a healthy condition till the delimeing process has been finished.

4. The method of delimeing Wool, hair or bristles contaminated With lime Which consists in soaking them in a bath containing a pure brood of butyric acid (l H O producing Schizomg cctes such as Bacillus b00- copricus, Bacillus subtilis nourishing the bacilli While in the said bath and during the delimeing process regulating the supply of food for the said bacilli so as to keep the natural function of the said bacilli in a healthy condition till the delimeing process has been finished, the lime existing now in a soluble state in the Water of the bath the taking out of the Wool, hair or bristles off the bath and Washing them in order to re vmove the adhering liquid of the bath.

IGNATIUS LUCAS. l/Vitnesses:

CHARLES Knn'rsor-rMAR, ADoLF BINDER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G. 

